Business Ethics Essay -- Philosophy Morality Papers

Business Ethics Business ethics is a multifaceted field that cannot be defined with a single definition. This area addresses numerous issues, problems, and dilemmas within the management of businesses. It does this through numerous perspectives and methods. Of course, in order to present the complexities of business ethics, we must explore the types of issues that business professionals are confronted with all the time. Business ethics not only portray to humans, but also to how businesses treat the environment. My father stated to me that the enterprise in which he is engaged in, and the products or services that they market, should serve an inherently ethical purpose and that a companies primary ethical responsibilities are defined by the nature of their objectives and also of the relations when formulating their company's ethical standards. This usually requires statements of corporate responsibilities. Most of the codes describe the company's commitment toward certain groups rather than prescribing ethical conduct for specific situations. His responsibility is not only to our stockholders, but also to our clients, the other employees and their families, our local community residents, and all of society at large. Our profit comes about through our effort to promote the prosperity of the community as a whole. Does your company take advantage of clients, due to the fact that they have money? In some ways they do for the fact that we will quote a price to have the complete seal designed and manufactured to a client. The actual cost and materials it takes to make the seals is a lot less than they are charging. I mean that one rubber mold can make two seals and yet we charge them for one seal and then use the excess to make ... ...y's Americans have a belief that they have set for themselves and for the rest of the world a high example of individual freedom. Americans became a nation with the understanding that government action should not restrict the freedom of individuals to follow their own consciences. Employees are the first to know if something within an organization is not legally or ethically right. Unfortunately they are also the last to speak out about such problems. Know body wants to be a whistle blower on the very company that they are working for. Each corporation should provide an employee bill of rights as well as a system of appeals to guarantee these rights and as a condition of employment, workers at every level should be allowed to voice their concerns about the company's activities or policies. They should also be afforded a fair hearing in order to voice these concerns.

Renaissance Art and Culture

Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual activities, as well as social and political confusion, it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments. Leonardo dad Vinci and Michelangelo were inspired by the term â€Å"Renaissance man†. Renaissance influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual study. Renaissance scholars used the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art. The civilizations of Greece and Rome were rediscovered, inspiring an interest in Classical learning which challenged medieval beliefs and ideas.The population was becoming wealthier which led to an increase in trade and travel and the spread of new ideas. The rise in prosperity also generated an interest in education, supported the flourishing of the arts and promoted scientific discoveries and new inventions. Perhaps the most important of these was the printing press, which allow ed the distribution of information to a much wider audience than ever before, further increasing the demand for more knowledge. INFLUENCE OF RENAISSANCE Renaissance was much more than a rebirth of classical art. It was a rejection of the middle Ages, which were Just ending.During medieval times, the arts were concerned mainly with religion, with the life of the spirit, with the hereafter. Little importance was given to life on earth except as a preparation for the next world. But as the 1 5th century began, Italians were turning their attention to the world about them. People started to think more about nonstructural, or nonreligious, matters. They began placing faith in their own qualities and their own importance. This new spirit was called humanism. Discipline, unquestioning faith, obedience to authority–these medieval benefits were o longer blindly accepted.People asked questions and wanted to find their own answers. Artists were among the first affected by the new spirit of humanism. In their work they began to focus on human life on earth. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE ART The Italian Renaissance was one of the most productive periods in the history of art, with large numbers of outstanding masters to be found in many centers and in all the major fields painting, sculpture, and architecture. In Florence, in the first half of the fifteenth century, there were great innovators in all these fields, whose work raked a beginning off new era in the history of art.The idea of artistic genius became popular; Michelangelo was called â€Å"divine† because of the greatness of his creative powers. In the Renaissance, art and science were closely connected. Both the artist and the scientist strove for the mastery of the physical world, and the art of painting profited by two fields of study that may be called scientific: anatomy, which made possible a more accurate representation of the human body, and mathematical perspective. Humanistic education, based on ethi cs and the liberal arts, was pushed s a way to create experienced citizens who could actively participate in the political process.Humanists celebrated the mind, beauty, power, and enormous potential of human beings. They believed that people were able to experience God directly and should have a personal, emotional relationship to their faith. God had made the world but humans were able to share in his glory by becoming creators themselves. INFLUENCE ON PAINTING The painting in France was known as Florentine painting. The techniques favored by the Florentine were tempera and fresco. The Tempera Painting: In tempera painting a dry surface was used. A wooden panel was grounded with several coats of plaster in glue, and the work was then copied from a drawing.The colors were tempered with egg or vegetable albumin. The Fresco Painting: The fresco technique, used for the mural paintings in Florentine churches, involved painting on wet plaster. The sketch was first copied on the plaster wall in rough outline, and the part on which the painter was going to work during a given day was then covered with fresh plaster. The painter had to redraw the part that had been covered by the new plaster and add the colors. As the plaster dried, the colors came a permanent part of it. ARTISTS DURING RENAISSANCE The beginning of the great Florentine school of painting came in the middle Ages.Leonardo dad Vinci 0 Michelangelo The climax of late 1 5th-century painting came in the work of Leonardo dad Vinci (1452-1519). Leonardo studied painting in Florence, but he spent much of his life working in Milan. The last few years of his life were spent in France in the service of King Francis l. Leonardo is the perfect example of the â€Å"Renaissance man† because he was interested in and well informed about a great many subjects: literature, science, thematic, art–almost everything about man and nature. Like many artists of the time, he was a sculptor and an architect as wel l as a painter.His paintings, particularly The Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and The Madonna of the Rocks, have made him famous. The unique way he handled light and shadow is his most unusual characteristic. Leonardo remarkable ability to grasp and express the mysteries of man and nature made him one of the greatest of all painters. He worked on the painting OF THE LAST SUPER from about 1495 to 1497. When compared to previous paintings of the same subject, its originality becomes evident. All extras have been eliminated; the distant landscape, seen through the windows, increases rather than distracts from the main subject.There are no human figures other than Jesus and his disciples. All are placed on one side of a long table; earlier artists had placed Judas across the table from the rest. To give dynamic character to a scene pictured in standing terms, Leonardo chose the moment when Jesus announced one of the disciples would betray him. This terrible declaration sends a shock wave o f feeling through the twelve. Each is clearly differentiated from the others in the attitude and sutures with which he reacts to the Master's words, and yet all form a unity. The twelve are divided into four groups of three, each group having its own distinct character.In the center is Jesus, whose posture forms a triangle, a form on which Leonardo paintings were normally based. Jesus is serene and unmoved by the effect of his words. These are the qualities of the High Renaissance style: simplicity; austere rejection of the incidental and the merely pretty; nobility and grandeur in the figures involved in actions of depth and significance. Michelangelo One of the greatest 16th-century artists was Michelangelo Bonaparte (1475-1564). In sculpture, architecture, and painting he was so outstanding that he was called divine.He became fascinated with the problems of representing the human body, and he devoted himself completely to mastering them. In 1505 Michelangelo was called by Pope Ju lius II to Rome, where he was assigned to work on a number of projects. The most important were: The Pope's tomb, The decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican The new basilica of SST. Pewter's The Sistine ceiling, which took 4 years to paint under difficult conditions, is composed of hundreds of figures from the Old Testament. In all his representations of the human figure, whether in sculpture or in painting, Michelangelo strove to make them monuments.With the art of Michelangelo the High Renaissance came to its climax. His work, in fact, betrayed signs of a changing attitude in the art of the day. The twisted, tortured figures and the compressed space of his painting of The Last Judgment. Influence of Renaissance on Venice and Northern Italy Venice was the most important northern Italian city of the Renaissance. The Venetians lived a happy and luxurious life. Enjoying the benefits of an active trade tit the east, they imported silks, Jewels, slaves, and exoti c foods. Close connections with Eastern art and a naturally colorful location inspired the Venetian painters to use bright color.They were influenced by the new â€Å"scientific† developments in Florentine art. But their use of anatomy and perspective was combined with their love of color and pageantry. One of the most important north Italian painters was Andrea Antenna (1431-1506). Born in Pads, a city not far from Venice, Antenna introduced many Florentine characteristics into north Italian painting. He particularly admired the realism of Tangelo's sculptures, and like Donated, he studied ancient Roman art. He used perspective to create the effect of a stage on which his figures perform.The greatest of the 1 5th-century Venetian painters was Giovanni Beeline Antenna's friendship with Beeline had a direct influence on Venetian painting. Bellini's rich, mellow color and warm lighting bring out the human qualities of his serene Madonna and saints. He was one of the first Itali ans to use oil paint on canvas. Two of Giovanni Bellini's pupils became the most outstanding Venetian painters of the High Renaissance. They were Giorgio and Titian. Goriness's colorful and poetic pictures attracted a large following of artists known as Egregiousness painters.Titian began as a Egregiousness painter but developed far beyond this style. He achieved such mastery in the handling of bright, warm color that he was considered to be the equal of Michelangelo. In his late works figures and objects melt into a glow of light and color–a treatment of painting that seems very modern. Renaissance in the North Oil painting had become popular in Venice by the end of the 15th century. The Venetians learned a great deal from Flemish artists. The Flemish painter Jan van is often given the credit for developing an important oil technique.The Flemish and German styles of the early 1 5th century were completely different from the early Renaissance style of the Florentine. Instead of simple geometric arrangements of three-dimensional figures, as in Mosaic's paintings, the northern Europeans aimed at creating realistic pictures by rendering countless details–intricate floor patterns, drapery designs, and miniature landscapes. This complex style of the north did not develop from a humanistic classical art but from the Gothic tradition of mysticism and tortured realism. Flemish Painting Van Cock's Madonna painted in 1436, is an excellent example of Flemish realism.All the details of the room–the patterned carpet, the armor of Saint George, and the architecture–make this picture seem very real. There is no sign of the Italian sense of beauty here: the figures are not idealized. In the faces of the people can be seen the wrinkles and imperfections of real life. One of the best-known Flemish artists of the second half of the 1 5th century was Hugo van deer Goes. When the Florentine painters saw Hog's work, they were impressed by its lifelike qu ality. This Flemish influence can be seen in later Florentine nettings.Gradually the hard outlines of the Flemish style became softer because of Italian influences, and by the middle of the 16th century the ideas of the Renaissance had been absorbed into Flemish art. German Painting The German artist Albrecht Udder went to Italy, where he was impressed by the countryside and by the art he saw. While in Venice, he came to know and admire Giovanni Beeline. Beeline, in turn, admired Udder's work. Udder had been trained in the Gothic tradition of German art. He had learned to imitate nature accurately and painstakingly. He was a master in the use of sensitive line in drawings, woodcuts, engravings, and paintings.The End of the Renaissance During the second quarter of the 16th century, mannerism began to take hold in European art. This was the first truly international European style. Renaissance art had been typically Italian in style, but mannerism developed throughout Europe and combi ned many traditions. The art of northern painters such as Pitter Burgher the Elder and Udder can be considered part of this school. So can the work of Michelangelo and Tinderbox and many other 16th-century Italian artists. The work of the French painters of Fontainebleau and that of El Greece in Spain is also part of the mannerist style.Mannerism was both a reaction against and an outgrowth of the High Renaissance. It was typified by abnormally lengthened or distorted figures and the replacement of perspective with a flatter and less organized type of space. By the end of the 16th century the High Renaissance in Italy had given way to late mannerism and the early baroque. But the discoveries and ideals of the Renaissance remained as a permanent heritage to all artists who came afterward. The most important contribution of the Renaissance was its vision of man as beautiful, noble, and independent.

Dick Spencer Case Analysis Essay

Dick Spencer In this case Dick Spencer, a well-known employee of an aluminum producing company worked his way up the ranks from being a successful salesman to a plant manager. However through his transition of roles Dick experienced some pitfalls. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the main contributing factors to Dick’s success as a salesman and the issues he faced as a plant manager and provide informed alternative solutions. Dick knew the business well which played a vital role in his success as a salesman. Fresh out of college and with a Master’s degree in Business Administration attributed to his knowledge of the business world. According to Foster-Pedley (2013), individuals with a MBA apply their new expertise and fresh talents in their jobs and towards the advancement of the organization. â€Å"They use resources better, applying their imagination and creativity more effectively, and dare to transform and make progress† (Foster-Pedley, 2013, p. 13). Individuals who attained a MBA credit their promotion, field change or pay increase to the degree (Ainsworth, 1995). We’ve all heard the adage,† knowledge is power† and Dick certainly had the potential and prevailed as a salesman. Dick had the ability to sale and according to his coworkers he was personable which amplified his sales ability. Effectively communicating and connecting with customers is an important aspect of the buyer-seller relationship (Hung, Lin, 2013). Whether it’s on a personal level or professional level making that relation is the key. Through his easy to talk to personality, Dick built relationships and gained trust. Research indicates â€Å"higher levels of trust are expected to result in more positive attitudes, higher levels of cooperation and other forms of workplace behavior, and superior levels of performance† (Dirks, Ferrin, 2001). Additionally in order to sale a product you have to know your product. Product knowledge directly correlates with how customers will respond to your product (Sangtani, Murshed, 2013). Once you’ve established a connection with the customer you want to listen and understand your customer’s needs. Having product knowledge is important so you can identify what your product(s) can do to serve your customer’s needs. According to Feiertag (2006), â€Å"It is just not enough to simply mention the feature; it needs to be presented as a value to the prospective buyer.† Successful individuals working in sales are enthusiastic and highly motived about  se lling their product (Stevenson, 2004). Dick was able to signed several large contracts by applying these fundamental sales skills. Dick was confident in his abilities to get the job done. Shortly after being employed Dick secured a single, large contract deal, placing him high on the sales leader board. Dick was confident in his abilities and took pride in getting the job done. It’s important to have confidence at work to professionally grow and advance your career. Dick’s confidence as a salesman later helped him get a management position. Dick enjoyed being a salesman and was pretty good at it. The study performed by Gyllensten and Palmer (2014), found participates were happier on the job and outside of work when their confidence levels increased. They also reported improvements in employees completing their work duties and a willingness to make decisions (Gyllensten and Palmer, 2014). Again we can also give credit to Dick’s MBA degree as providing self-assurance in his job performance abilities (Simpson, 2005). Confidence gives you the courage to do things you normally wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. In sales there are plenty of circumstances where the ordinary sales pitch just won’t seal the deal. Dick was also very committed to the job which reflected in his sales volume. In a review of the research on organization commitment and job performance, researchers identified there is a direct correlation in commitment to the job and achieving favorable results (Myer, Paunonen, Gellatly, Goffin, Jackson, 1989). Consistent with this prospective, Shore and M artin (1989) found that â€Å"better performance was shown by employees with higher commitments.† Dick was so committed to the job that it cost him his first marriage. He was serious about reaching his sales goals and each of these factors previously described played a part in his success as a salesman. However after a few years as a salesman, Dick wasn’t getting the satisfaction from the job as he had in the past. Therefore he requested a transfer out of the sales department and into a management role. Dick was named plant manager at Modrow. He came in at a hectic time when a lot of changes were being implemented. In his efforts to familiarize himself with the daily operations, Dick first struggle as a manager was micro-managing. He had his hand in everything possible which made his employees feel very un-easy. According to Dr. White, Dick possessed many symptoms of a Micromanager. For example, Dick interest in cutting costs required the expert knowledge of the accounting group. Knowing that  accounting wasn’t his strongest subject he still spent numerous hours burying himself in details that he just could not understand. Micromanagers don’t allow any decisions be made with their approval (White, 2010). Dick had also taken on too many tasks at once making it almost impossible for any of them to be implemented successfully. Being the micromanager that he was, Dick didn’t delegate tasks very well, another symptom of a micromanager (White, 2010). Another example of Dick’s micromanaging is when he insisted on changing the disposal process of scraps. When discussing this change with his foremen, Dick didn’t listen to the foreman’s thoughts as to why the change wouldn’t work. Micromanagers tend to have the mentality; it’s my way or the highway. Traditional micromanagers will completely disregard new concepts offered by their subordinates (Weyand, 1996). Work-related stress affected Dick’s job performance. It also was creating issues with his family as they felt abandoned while he spent countless hours at the office. Through trying to prove himself to leadership and to his new employees, Dick lost focus on other important matters. His management position required him to take on more responsibilities which demanded more of his time. â€Å"In order for supervisors and managers to excel and be a dynamic force in organizational life, job stress must be harnessed† (Stanley, 2014). As Dick noticed processes that needed to be changed he was unsuccessful in communicating those changes. As a manager being able to successfully communication is essential. Communication failure could potentially become a serious problem in an organization. Information is lost causing confusion reducing productivity and increases costs. In an article published by Jost (2006), he discusses several situations where failure to communicate resulted in some hefty financial costs to many companies. Dick was so focused on cutting costs that he forgot to look at the big picture. If he had effectively communicated his interest to cut costs with his supervisors and foreman, he could have potentially found a solution. Additionally, his relationships with his employees weren’t the best, which is another consequence of ineffective communication (Tunk, 2014). Now I’d like to focus on the following recommendations that could resolve Dick’s  micro-managing style, work-related s tress, and ineffective communication. To address Dick’s micro-managing style, he needs to be flexible in how the job gets done. Dick can delegate tasks that can be handled without his supervision and give them ample time to complete each task. He can do this by building trust, empowering his employees to be a part of the decision making process (White, 2010). Making rounds within the plant had a negative impact on employees. They were worried about what he was up to and why he kept coming around. There was a lack of trust. His presence caused everyone to be less productive in their jobs. The second recommendation is time management to address Dick’s work-related stress. It’s important for Dick to find a balance between work and family for the sake of his marriage and kids but also for his well-being. If Dick continues operating this way it could potentially lead to some serious health problems (Heikkia et al., 2013). To help him find this balance he needs to reevaluate what’s most important to him. Review his job duties that need to be completed and prioritize them. Identify the tasks that can be done by someone else and delegate those tasks (McDonald & Hucheson, 1998). Dick should also try to engage in outside activity that requires his complete attention. Research supports â€Å"that a psychological detachment from work effectively mitigates some of the negative effects of work-family conflict† (Moreno et al., 2009). My last recommendation is improving his communication skills. Dick was not successful in trying to implement a change in the process to discard scrap siding. The keys to effective communication is listening and learning. Effective communication improves work performance and productivity within the business. It also builds trust and creates transparency which is something Dick is currently lacking within the Modrow plant. Communication promotes collaborative work where everyone has an opportunity to share information (Tunk, 2014). If Dick were to implement these few changes I believe he would start reaping the benefits of his management role and overall increase morale at the plant. References Ainsworth, M., & Morley, C. (1995). The Value of Management Education: Views of Graduates on the Benefits of Doing a MBA. Higher Education, 30(2), 175-87. Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2001). The Role of Trust in Organizational Settings. Organization Science, (4), 450. doi:10.2307/3085982. Feiertag, H. (2006). Product knowledge is key to improving group sales. Hotel & Motel Management, 221(8), 10. Foster-Pedley, J. (2013). Older and maybe just a little bit wiser.. Finweek, 12-13. Gyllensten, K., & Palmer, S. (2014). Increased employee confidence: A benefit of coaching. Coaching Psychologist, 10(1), 36-39. Heikkilà ¤, K., Fransson, E. I., Nyberg, S. T., Zins, M., Westerlund, H., Westerholm, P., & †¦ Kivimà ¤ki, M. (2013). Job strain and health-related lifestyle: Findings from an individual-participant meta-analysis of 118,000 working adults. American Journal Of Public Health, 103(11), 2090-2097. Hung, K., & Lin, C. (2013). More communication is not always better? The interplay between effective communication and interpersonal conflict in influencing satisfaction. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(8), 1223-1232. doi:10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.05.002. Jost, A. C. (2006). What We’ve Got Here Is†¦ FAILURE to Communicate. (cover story). Journal Of The Quality Assurance Institute, 20(4), 2-5. McDonald, B. D., & Hutcheson, D. (1998). Balancing work, family, work, self and work hurts employees. Business Press, 10(48), 29. Meyer, J. P., Paunonen, S. V., Gellatly, I. R., Goffin, R. D., & Jackson, D. N. (1989). Organizational Commitment and Job Performance: It’s the Nature of the Commitment That Counts. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 74(1), 152. Moreno-Jimà ©nez, B., Mayo, M., Sanz-Vergel, A., Geurts, S., Rodrà ­guez-Muà ±oz, A., & Garrosa, E. (2009). Effects of work-family conflict on employees’ well-being: The moderating role of recovery strategies. Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 14(4), 427-440. doi:10.1037/a0016739. Shore, L. M., & Martin, H. J. (1989). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment in relation to work performance and turnover intentions. Human Relations, 42(7), 625. Simpson, R., Sturges, J., Woods, A., & Altman, Y. (2005). Gender, Age, and the MBA: An Analysis of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Career Benefits. Journal of Management Education, 29(2), 218-247. Stanley, T. L. (2014). stress management for high achievers. Supervision, 75(5), 17. Stevenson, B. (2004). 4 Reasons Why Sales Fail. NZ Marketing Magazine, 23(1), 32-33. Tuck, P. (2014). A failure to communicate. Training Journal, 43-47. Weyand, J. (1996). Micromanagement: Outmoded or alive and well?. Management Review, 85(11), 62. White Jr., R. D. (2010). The Micromanagement Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Cure. Public Personnel Management, 39(1), 71-76.

The Scarlet Letter Summary: Chapters 7-11

In these chapters, Hester visits the governor’s mansion. She wants to find out if the rumors that Pearl might be taken away from her are true. When she finally meets with the governor she begs him to not take her daughter away from her. They agree to not separate the mother and child, and Pearl seems to take a liking to the governor. Chillingworth tries to convince the governor to reopen the case of revealing who the father of Pearl is, but he refuses.Chillingworth changed his name upon his arrival to Boston to hide his true identity, even though Hester knows his true Identity, and she was sworn to secrecy. He is known as the doctor of the town, and because the town has very little medical help, he is openly welcome. When Dimmesdale begins to have lots of chest pains, the doctor moves in with him to make sure everything is ok. Even though the minister doesn’t trust the doctor, because he has no reason for his distrust, he still does what he says.The minister’s si ckness causes him to give more powerful sermons, mostly focusing in sins. At night, he cant sleep and he begins to have visions. He has a vision of Hester pointing at her scarlet letter, and then pointing at the clergyman. The minister believes that he is jus delusional and doesn’t pay any mind to his visions. He then begins to torture himself, by whipping himself, not eating, and not sleeping. He then thinks he knows how to remedy his pain. He decides to hold a vigil, on the same scaffold where Hester had suffered her punishment years ago

Integrated Marketing Communication

During the last decade of the twentieth century, the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) received considerable attention from practitioners and academics alike, and that interest has continued into the new millennium (e. g. , Bearden and Madden 1996; Cornelissen and Lock 2000; Duncan, Schultz, and Patti 2005; Garretson and Burton 2005; Nowak and Phelps 1994; Schultz and Kitchen 2000a; Schumann, Artis, and Rivera 2001). As the marketplace has become more fragmented over the years, organizations have embraced IMC as a means to effectively and efficiently target and attract the splintering mass market through the transmission of a unified message across all â€Å"contact points† between organizations and their consumers. Whether the contact point is product packaging, a Web advertisement, or any other â€Å"information bearing experience that a consumer or prospect has with a brand† (Schultz, Tannenbaum, and Lauterborn 1993, p. 1), the goal is to present a message to an audience that is consistent (Duncan 1993) and/or to generate valuable customer information (Roznowski, Reece, and Daugherty 2002; Yarborough 1996). In short, utilization and coordination of various promotion and communication tools is necessary to assure optimal market coverage (Stewart 1996) and to develop a strong marketing program (Nowak and Phelps 1994). Despite its potential contributions, debate still exists regarding the significance of IMC as a practice (e. g. , Cook 2004; Cornelissen and Lock 2000; Gould 2001). Questions pertaining to the prevalence of IMC in the marketplace (Roznowski, Reece, and Daugherty 2002) and regarding its differential applicability across product type (e. g. , Nowak, Cameron, and Delorme 1996) remain. This study was designed to help answer these questions. In recent years, the concept of IMC has made its way into the mainstream of the marketing literature (Duncan and Caywood 1996; Nowak and Phelps 1994; Schultz 2003; Schultz and Kitchen 1997, 2000b; Zahay et al. 2004). This has occurred despite the fact that, in reality, there is no universally agreed upon definition of IMC (e. g. , Cornelissen and Lock 2000; Kliatchko 2005; Schultz and Kitchen 1997; Stewart 1996) and IMC appears to be an evolving concept (Duncan, Schultz, and Patti 2005). While a â€Å"working definition of integrated marketing communication is hard to come by† (Schultz, Tannenbaum, and Lauterborn 1993, p. xv), one simple characterization of the phenomenon poses IMC as the coordination of communication tools for a brand (Krugman et al. 1994). Central to the concept of IMC is the notion that effective communication is accomplished by blending various communication forms–for example, advertising, publicity, sales promotion, and so forth–into a single, seamless entity (Nowak, Cameron, and Delorme 1996). Furthermore, when it is well devised, IMC can generate information that can be used to identify and target different types of consumers with customized communication (Schultz 1997) and, ultimately, help to build a strong relationship with them (Duncan 2002). In a sense, then, IMC involves a process that is circular in nature–a sort of two-way communication between organizations and consumers that gathers and stores responses to communication and uses that information to effectively target consumers in future efforts (Roznowski, Reece, and Daugherty 2002; Schultz, Tannenbaum, and Lauterborn 1993). A review of the phenomenon in practice performed by Nowak and Phelps (1994) uncovered three broad manifestations of integrated marketing communication: IMC as â€Å"integrated communication,† IMC as â€Å"‘one voice' communication,† and IMC as a â€Å"coordinated marketing-communication campaign. † While the distinction among the three manifestations is sometimes hazy, each one poses a slightly different approach that organizations may take to create messages that are uniform in tone and look (Duncan 1993). The â€Å"integrated communications† approach involves promoting brand image and direct audience behavior simultaneously by coupling devices such as brand advertising and public relations communications with consumer sales promotions and direct response tools within an organization's marketing-communication materials, particularly advertisements (Peltier, Mueller, and Rosen 1992). For instance, an ad that contains a direct-response tool (e. g. , a coupon), a public relations appeal (e. g. , support of an esteemed social cause), and brand advertising (e. g. depiction and description of the offering) would reflect the integrated communication form of IMC. A key outcome of this approach is the acquisition of consumer information that is captured when consumers respond to direct-response tools, sales promotions, and the like (Nowak and Phelps 1994). The â€Å"one voice† approach reflects a firm's focus on a single positioning strategy that emphasizes unity among brand/ image advertising, direct-response advertising, public relations, and consumer sales promotions at the outset of a promotional campaign (Reilly 1991; Snyder 1991). In this approach, the position, message, or theme is what ultimately guides an organization's IMC decisions, which ostensibly could be rendered independently by the firm's advertising, public relations, and sales promotion agencies (Nowak and Phelps 1994). The third approach, â€Å"coordinated marketing-communication campaigns,† stresses the need to integrate the activities of different marketing-communication disciplines (e. g. , sales promotions, advertising, and public relations) in order to reach multiple audiences with a synergistic effort (Rapp and Collins 1990; Schultz, Tannenbaum, and Lauterborn 1993). The â€Å"coordinated marketing communication† approach differs from the â€Å"one voice† manifestation of IMC in that it does not simply focus on a single brand position; rather, multiple positions are the norm (Nowak and Phelps 1994), with a goal of targeting multiple audiences (Rapp and Collins 1990). A further comparison of the three forms of integrated marketing communication reveals that the â€Å"coordinated marketing-communication campaign† and â€Å"one voice† approaches to IMC involve an organization's communication activity at a broad level of application, whereas the â€Å"integrated communications† manifestation encompasses a more microlevel application. More precisely, the first two manifestations involve integration across communication campaigns, whereas the latter one entails integration within particular communication devices, such as advertisements. For example, early indications following Super Bowl XL suggested that the ads broadcast during the event were successful not only in terms of their brand advertising, but also in terms of direct response, as evidenced by the increased traffic to the advertisers' Web sites (Horovitz 2006). Of the three forms of IMC, it is the integrated communications† approach that appears to be the one most often utilized in practice (Phelps, Plumley, and Johnson 1994) and the one that is the focus of this study. One broad goal of our research is to discern how the â€Å"integrated communications† form of IMC is manifested in practice. Integrated Marketing Communication Research While the phenomenon of integrated marketing communications has received widespread attention over the past 15 years, there have been very few empirical investigations of its incidence and application. The scant research findings that are available suggest that IMC is perceived to be valuable by practitioners (Duncan and Everett 1993; Roznowski, Reece, and Daugherty 2002) and that its utilization seems to be increasing. For example, one early study found that approximately two-thirds of consumer product companies employed IMC in some manner (Caywood, Schultz, and Wang 1991), while a later investigation reported that 75% of the organizations surveyed had adopted IMC in one way or another (Phelps, Plumley, and Johnson 1994). A more recent investigation revealed that 95 % of Fortune 500 executives responding to an inquiry indicated that their company used IMC to some degree and that nearly the same percentage was at least somewhat satisfied with its results (Roznowski, Reece, and Daugherty 2002). It bears noting that most of these findings are based on respondents' perceptions and may not reflect IMC as actually practiced. In general, most of the examination of IMC has focused on its perceived value and beliefs regarding its potential among packaged or durable-goods marketers. By comparison, there is little documentation of the actual existence or prevalence of IMC in these or other market contexts (Nowak, Cameron, and Delorme 1996). The scant published research on the actual practice of integrated marketing communication suggests that organizations involved in green marketing have been slow to adopt IMC principles in their advertising (Carlson et al. 1996). Meanwhile, retail and consumer service organizations appear to use media and message delivery elements associated with integrated approaches, yet lack strong coordination among these IMC components (Nowak, Cameron, and Delorme 1996). In a further examination of IMC across different business firms (i. e. , business-to-business, retailing, services, and consumer product), it was discovered that coordination among IMC components does indeed exist, yet the selection of specific marketing communication activities differs significantly among the business types (McArthur and Griffin 1997). Given the contradictory results and scarce empirical research, there appears to be a need for further examination of IMC and marketers' activities to plan and execute its implementation (Duncan and Everett 1993; Roznowski, Reece, and Daugherty 2002). Integrated Marketing Communication and Product Type Based on the research results discussed above, IMC appears to be a practice that is used across business contexts, but in different ways (e. g. , McArthur and Griffin 1997; Nowak, Cameron, and Delorme 1996). McArthur and Griffin observe, â€Å"different product-market situations demand different communication tools and techniques† (1997, p. 5). Hence, it is not surprising that a study of media usage within IMC programs revealed differential emphasis on some media when comparing services and retailing firms (Nowak, Cameron, and Delorme 1996) or comparing across services, retailing, business-to-business, and consumer product organizations (McArthur and Griffin 1997). There is even some indication that consumer product firms lag behind others in terms of the degree of attention they accord to IMC (McArthur and Griffin 1997). In addition, and as suggested by Duncan (2005), IMC may be particularly relevant within the services sector. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that the nature of the product that an organization offers may affect the emphasis it places on IMC and its utilization of different communication materials. Further supporting the notion that the nature of the promoted product may be related to the adoption of IMC is a body of literature that indicates that the advertising of services differs substantively from the advertising of physical goods in several ways (e. g. , George and Berry 1981; Grove, Pickett, and Laband 1995; Legg and Baker 1987; Mittal 1999; Shostack 1977; Stafford and Day 1995). For example, since services are essentially performances (Gronroos 1990; Grove and Fisk 1983) and not things that can be displayed (e. g. , insurance, health care, an airline flight), it is difficult for organizations to communicate about them and for customers to grasp what it is they are likely to receive (Lovelock and Wirtz 2004; Shostack 1977; Zeithaml 1981). Many years ago, in her seminal paper establishing the nature of service products, Shostack (1977) stressed that marketers must strive to â€Å"integrate† evidence of service offerings to compensate for their innate intangibility. She argued that such an effort should involve controlling a broad range of potential clues to foster a concrete, â€Å"total impression† of the service. Essentially, that effort entails coordinating various communicative devices associated with a service and its delivery, including the content of service advertising. George and Berry (1981) similarly argue for the importance of presenting a uniform message as one of the six guidelines for advertising a service. From their viewpoint, â€Å"advertising continuity,† that is, continually using distinctive symbols, formats, and/or themes can reinforce a service's image and differentiate it from the competition. Ostensibly, the creation of a consistent and uniform perception of the service product might also be accomplished as one outcome of effective integrated marketing communications. Yet in a comprehensive overview of the services advertising literature several years ago, Tripp (1997) identified IMC as one of several phenomena related to service advertising's message structure and execution that needed further study. A recent examination of advertisements across various categories of services found a high incidence of IMC portrayed within the ads (i. e. , over 60% of the ads reflected IMC), yet argued that there was room for improvement in terms of the degree of integration that was present (Grove, Carlson, and Dorsch 2002). However, a comparison of advertisements for goods versus services with respect to incidence and character of IMC has yet to be performed, despite the potential applicability of IMC in the area of services promotion (Duncan 2005).

Pricewaterhouse Coopers Finance Department Assignment

Pricewaterhouse Coopers Finance Department - Assignment Example With the diversity of its workforce, challenging tasks, motivating and nurturing environment, the business organization presents a fertile venue for individual growth and development not just in terms of career but especially on social, intellectual, and moral aspects. Through an interview conducted with Richard Baird, the PwC Human Resource Executive, this report assesses the capability of the financial firm in training, motivating, compensating, and developing its workforce. With the main goal of having a thorough understanding of the company's human resource policies, this trip report focuses to put PwC's perspective on its people on spotlight. Throughout the interview, Baird emphasizes that human resources are the essential strategic partners which helps PwC accomplish its goals and reach its specific objectives. When asked how the company values its employees, Baird responded, "It is our people who create the experience of PwC for our clients and ultimately makes us distinctive. The clients of PwC firms all over the world select us and judge the quality of our service by the people they meet and who serve them on a day-to-day basis." Wh What then makes the people of PwC distinctive Baird stated, "The first element that differentiates our people is their individual quality. Each PwC firm is dedicated in recruiting the best people, helping them develop their skills and competencies, and enabling them to realize their full potential. People who join our organization are expected to adopt our shared values, as exemplified in our Global Code of Conduct. As they gain experience and build technical and commercial expertise, we also help them grow as responsible leaders. The second element is connected thinking, which brings our people together throughout our global network and encourages them to collaborate and support each other, using their collective experience, industry knowledge and business understanding to deliver consistent service, which clients truly value." PwC considers its people as one of its core competencies. Thus, it opts to nurture its employees and keep them happy and motivated to excel in their positions: "In any business, a happy team is more likely to be a high performing team. Employees who enjoy their work and are fully engaged with us are also more engaged with our clients, delivering higher quality, and creativity as a result." Recognizing this, PwC focuses on staff retention conduct an Annual Global Survey to help it "understand its people's level of engagement and commitment to PwC." So, how does PwC build people's engagement "One is by encouraging and enabling them to work flexibly to suit their own lifestyle and personal priorities-a commitment that is led from the top and that applies at every level of the organization. To ensure our people benefit from the best possible learning opportunities, we frequently run development programs in partnership with business schools. We also have talent management programs in orde r to develop future leaders in our different firms. We value diversity and are striving capitalize on the various knowledge

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Leadership - Essay Example These are: first belief (B1) signifies the relationship between effort and performance; the second deals with the relationship between performance and outcomes (B2); and third (B3) with the relationship between outcomes and satisfaction. B1 is the perception and belief of the employee whether effort will lead to success or not; a perception of the employee if the work given is hard to perform. B2 deals with employee’s belief whether his performance will result to outcomes. B3 is the employee’s belief as to the satisfaction of his outcomes, and how favorably the outcomes will be. B. Application of the Expectancy Theory of Motivation In scenario, the employees were not motivated to work given the new production process. Some of them do not seem to put forth any effort to master the process, and some just do not exert much effort, though they have mastered it. Some were not motivated to reach the production goals because there is no disparity between the salary of those wh o can meet the department goals, and those who cannot. In addition, they claim that though they were given bonus for reaching the production goals, their salary amount is so small because of the withholdings, thus, not worth the effort. In application of the expectancy theory of motivation, the company must do every means to make their employees motivated to work on the new production process. Some of their employees were thinking they â€Å"cannot just do it,† no motivation is entered in their minds; they were dubious if they can do it. Also, this company should try to make something that will make the employees motivated, so that they will exert more effort towards performance by using Effort-Performance method (like giving additional bonus). The concern about additional hand dexterity to achieve success, the company should, in any way, try to motivate employees that their performance will lead to outcomes. Some of them would think, â€Å"Will I get it?† so, the comp any should make its employees think that they can perform the job; they must believe they will achieve what they expect if they perform well by using Performance-Outcome method (like conducting training). Finally, employees should be made to believe that their overall outcomes will be satisfying, no matter what the situation will be through Outcome-Satisfaction method (like praising them for a job done). Hence, employees are motivated if: they believe that effort leads to performance: performance results to outcomes and outcomes will meet satisfaction. References Green, T. B. (1992). Performance and motivation strategies for today's workforce: A guide to expectancy theory applications. US: Greenwood Publishing Group. Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2009). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations. US: Cengage Learning. Task 2. Leadership A. Leadership Style Transformational leadership according to Bass (1998), the leader tries to change the values as well as the pri orities of the subordinates through motivating them to fulfill more works in their jobs by introducing to and doing things in new ways. In addition, transformational leaders possess an awesome ability to inspire, motivate, and encourage followers or subordinates to come up with outcomes far beyond of what is